The present invention relates generally to video display devices, and more particularly to a novel housing for use with a hand-held video display device or apparatus.
The advent of video display devices or apparatus as employed in video games and the like has led to the development of hand-held video display devices which enable the operator to hold the video device in one hand while manipulating control buttons and the like with the other hand and observing a video display screen. Depending upon the size and weight of the video display device, such hand holding of the device may cause arm and/or hand fatigue. To alleviate the problem, hand-held video display devices have generally employed relatively thin side profile housings or outer shells having substantially greater longitudinal length and transverse width than depth. The housings have substantially flat rear surfaces which facilitate placement on a table top or the like so that the upwardly facing surface exposes the controls and video screen during operation. While video display devices having such thin profiles assist in relieving the problem of arm and/or hand fatigue by enabling placement on a flat surface during operation, they do not lend themselves to stable positioning when the operator is in a sitting position and holding the video display device on his/her lap while manipulating the controls and viewing the video display screen. Accordingly, a hand-held video display device having an improved housing design which significantly improves stability when holding the video device on the operator's lap would greatly improve ease of operation, and particularly viewing of the video display screen while manipulating the various controls.